Monthly Archives: September 2014

This is a very big week for us here at Mojave Dolphins. On Thursday, we are screening the Academy Award winning documentary “The Cove” for free, and the following night we have a giant protest outside of the Mirage. Both of these events will be attended by none other than Ric O’Barry himself. This is a chance to interview the man who many credit as starting the cetacean rights movement. Ric O’Barry protested the Mirage in the 90’s, and has information about this facility. We feel local media should be covering this event. We have not gotten any media attention from FOX 5, 8 NEWS NOW, or the Las Vegas Weekly.

In exactly one week, Ric O’Barry will be in Las Vegas at a screening of the documentary that exposed the world to the slaughter of dolphins in Japan- The Cove. It was just 5 months ago we reached out to him for help, and just yesterday our cause received promotion on national TV on the Jane Velez Mitchell show during the Ric O’Barry segment.

On October 2nd, we will be showing a screening of The Cove at the West Charleston Library. Doors open at 7pm, movie starts at 7:30. No tickets required; this is absolutely free! After the screening, Ric O’Barry will be available for a Q&A session. Start thinking of what you want to ask him! Dolphin Project will have a table set up with some swag for sale, so bring money if you want to buy anything. This screening is open to people of all ages. Some graphic content, view at your own discretion.

The next night, Friday October 3rd, we will be meeting up for a protest outside of the Mirage Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. We will be out there from 5-7pm. Signs and literature will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. We will collect them at the end for safe keeping and future events. We will be working hard to educate the public about the horrors that go on out back behind these casino walls. Ric O’Barry will be protesting right along side us. He protested the location back in the 90s, and is very excited to see the progress we have made this last year.

We are looking forward to seeing our dolphin friends from around the country at this event, and we hope to see a lot of new faces, too!

Who is Ric O’Barry?

He is a man who used to capture and train dolphins in the 60s. You may know him as the trainer of the “Flipper” tv show dolphins. After one of the dolphins died in his arms, something inside of him changed. He has devoted his entire life since to saving dolphins and educating the public about the horrors of captivity. He is the founder of the Dolphin Project. He has rescued and released over 25 captive dolphins in Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, the Bahamas, and the United States. He is the author of 3 books, Behind the Dolphin Smile, To Free a Dolphin, and Die Bucht. In 2009, he was featured in the Academy Award winning documentary “The Cove” about the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan.

On Saturday October 4th, animal rights activists from Las Vegas are gathering in front of the Mirage Hotel and Casino on the strip at 11am and then marching south to City Center and back to raise awareness for lions, elephants, and rhinos being poached daily. They request that all attendees try to wear red to stand out, and bring noise makers. There will be an official “After March Party” at Senor Frogs patio from 3-8pm where 15% of the parties proceeds will go back to DazzleAfrica.Org to prevent further poaching in South Luangwa, Zambia. Please follow their facebook event page for more information. If you will be in the area, please consider supporting them on the strip.

The protest in Las Vegas is only one of over 100 happening globally on World Animal Day. According to the official global website representing the march, more than 35,000 elephants are slaughtered every year for their ivory tusks, and a rhino is slaughtered every 9-11 hours for its horn.

Africa loses 4 elephants to poachers EVERY HOUR, EVERY DAY of the year. It is estimated that less than 300,000 survive today. Africa loses 3 rhinos to poachers EACH DAY; of the 5 species of rhino, less than 25,000 survive today.

With so few numbers left, and such a slow rate of reproduction, these two species are rapidly heading for extinction, unless we – ALL OF US – do something to ensure they survive.

These remarkable and highly intelligent animals are being cruelly slaughtered in the most inhumane ways, with poachers often hacking off their tusks or horns while they are still alive. The agony these helpless creatures endure, and – especially for elephants – the anguish for their surviving family members, is unimaginable. Elephants have close family bonds and rely on the elders of their group to lead and teach them; when these are killed, the herd is left devastated and shattered, and if babies lose their mother they often will not survive either.

The upsurge in the killing spree over the last 8 years has been driven by the demand for ivory and horn in Asian countries – China is the biggest consumer of ivory (70% of the world’s ivory ends up as trinkets for the Chinese middle class), and Vietnam is the main consumer of rhino horn.

The money made from the illicit trade in ivory and rhino horn supports terrorist organizations in Africa and fuels civil strife and instability. Wildlife crime is estimated at $20 billion per year. The problem has become a global one, as trans-national criminal networks and heavily armed poaching gangs coordinate the bloody chain – from killing the animals, to smuggling their body parts for export, to selling them in outlets all over the world.

Stunt performer Steve-o, known mostly for his time spent with “Jackass”, recently outed himself as the prankster activist who defaced the California highway sign for Seaworld Drive to read “Seaworld Sucks”. This stunt has drawn the eyes of many, and opened up the eyes to thousands more who would of never known about the issue otherwise. We thank Steve-o for risking his life and taking the time to speak out for the killer whales in captivity at Seaworld.

We would like to take this time to let Steve-o know about the conditions the dolphins are facing in Las Vegas. It was just last year he was in the city performing with Tom Green (not at an MGM property!) We don’t expect Steve-o to pull another stunt- we just hope he will also use his celebrity to become a voice for the Mojave Dolphins. They need all the help they can get. If more people are aware of the issues, we will be able to get the support of the public and get the dolphins better protection. A tweet by him will reach his million followers, and spark attention and interest.

We have created a list of tweets that you can use, but feel free to make up your own and use photos. Stay polite, factual, and respectful! It is the best way to get our message across.

The annual hunt of small cetaceans in Taiji, Japan began a little over two weeks ago on Sept. 1st 2014. We were blessed with two straight weeks of “Cove Blue” – meaning that the dolphins were safe in the ocean, swimming free with their pods away from hunters grasp. The last 3 days have been “Cove Red” – dolphins were captured and slaughtered.

The first pod was captured on Sept 16th 2014 – a pod of Rissos. The next day, Sept 17th, more Rissos were driven and slaughtered, with a few being sent back to sea. The 18th… more Rissos! This is horrible news!

This needs to get global attention. Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your local news. There is a tweet sheet being passed around to activists to help get the word out for all 4 types of situations. Please lend your voice below:

Pod Driven Toward Cove – Use this page when a pod of dolphins is currently being driven towards to the killing cove.

Pod Trapped In Cove– Once the killers have netted the dolphins into the cove, start sending out these alerts.

Blood in the Water– I can’t even write about this without a heavy feeling in my heart. These tweets let media know that dolphins have now died in the waters of Taiji.

Pod Trapped Overnight – Dolphins will be trapped in the killing cove overnight, sometimes for days in a row. This adds even more stress to the dolphins.

The dolphins of Taiji are unable to use their voice to help themselves. These dolphins do not belong to Japan. They belong to the people of the world. We do not want anymore dolphins to be driven, sold into captivity, or slaughtered for human consumption. We must take it upon ourselves to educate the people and the media to this inhumane practice. Dolphins are going to die. Right now.

Reminder: We will be screening “The Cove” for free on Oct 2nd, 7:30pm in Las Vegas. Ric O’Barry from The Dolphin Project will be there to answer questions. Get all the details by clicking here!

Our lovely friends at Fins and Fluke have invited us to be a part of their environmental radio program, Fins and Fluke Radio. We will be representing the Mojave Dolphins live on the air tomorrow, September 18th, at 5:30pm eastern, 2:30pm pacific. The radio program takes place online, so no matter where you are, you are able to listen in. Help us spread the global message that dolphins do not belong in the middle of the Mojave desert!